How to Cook Pasta in the Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker

Tuscan Garlic Chicken Fettuccine (The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, page 198)

How to Cook Pasta in Your Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot

Calculating Your Cook Time

For perfect pasta from your pressure cooker, there’s a pretty simple formula: take the time listed on the box, cut it in half, then subtract an additional minute.

For example, if I were making a bowtie pasta and the package said to cook for 12 minutes, I’d set the cook time in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes. (12 minutes divided by 2, then subtract 1 additional minute).

This formula works as a good starting point whether you’re using regular pasta, whole wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, rice-based pasta, or pretty much any other type of pasta.

Also, if the cook time is an odd number, I generally round down. If you like your pasta with a bit more bite, next time you cook it, subtract an additional minute from the cook time. If you want it softer, add a minute until you get it just the way you like it. After a few times making pasta, you’ll know the perfect timing to cook your preferred brand of pasta to your preferred taste.

Anytime Spaghetti and Meatballs (The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, page 126)

Use an Intermittent Release

High-starch foods (like potatoes and pastas) frequently foam while cooking and generally benefit from a longer natural release to allow the foam to subside. However, pastas are a quick-cooking food and you need a quick pressure release to stop the cooking.

Get the best of both worlds by using an intermittent release. Once the cook time ends and the timer sounds, flip the pressure cooking switch from the Sealed to Venting position. Allow the pressure to release until you see foam or large water droplets coming from the valve. As soon as this happens, flip the switch back to the Sealed position and wait for 20 to 30 seconds. Flip back to the Venting position and repeat as necessary until all the pressure is released.

With most pastas, I only need to repeat this process a time or two;  however, in some cases you may need to switch back to Sealed more often.

If you’re worried about the foaming, add a fat to your pasta in the form of oil or butter. Or, if you prefer a meat sauce, saute the ground beef or chicken in the bottom of a pressure cooking pot, then transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Don’t bother wiping out the pan, just add the pasta and water and cook as directed. The fat from the meat will help reduce foaming.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese (The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, page 268)

Know Your Noodles

Some types of pastas work better in the pressure cooker than others. Generally, unless I’m following a specific recipe that calls for pasta, I prefer to use shorter noodles like rotini, penne, farfalle (bowtie), or shells. I’ve found that longer pastas, including spaghetti, linguine, and angel hair, can sometimes clump together in the pressure cooker. I don’t have that problem with shorter noodles.

If you want to cook spaghetti, break the noodles in half and add a tablespoon or two of butter or vegetable oil to the pressure cooking pot. This will help minimize clumping. Once you’ve released the pressure, give the noodles in the pot a gentle stir. If necessary, use a fork to separate the individual noodles.

Also, be aware that some brands of pastas foam more than others. If you’re having trouble with foaming, consider switching brands and see if that makes a difference.

Brand also makes a difference for specialty noodles like gluten-free or whole wheat pastas. I’ve had great luck with Barilla pastas, which is also my friend Jane‘s favorite brand for gluten-free pastas. (Not sponsored, this is just my favorite!)

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, Pressure Cooking Today

Adding the Ingredients

Whether you’re cooking a single serving or a whole box, you’ll need to use enough liquid to just barely cover the pasta. (Of course, be sure to follow your pressure cooker’s minimum liquid requirements.) After cooking, drain your pasta through a colander or use a ladle to spoon off the extra liquid.

Generally, unless I’m following a specific recipe, I prefer to cook the pasta in water and then cook the sauce pot-in-pot above the pasta. However, many people like cooking their pasta in a sauce. If you do this, it is SO IMPORTANT to make sure you’ve added enough liquid to the pot. Many jarred sauces have thickeners added, which can create a film on the bottom of the cooking pot that will change how your pasta cooks and may lead to a Burn error.

If you’re cooking the pasta in a sauce and the sauce seems thin, you can turn off your pressure cooker. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. If the sauce has far too much liquid, you can turn on the Saute feature and simmer the pasta until thickened.

Do you like to cook pasta in the pressure cooker? Do you have a favorite recipe you’d like to have made into a pressure cooker recipe? Let me know in the comments!

More pressure cooker / Instant Pot pasta recipes:

• Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
• Chicken Bacon Penne Pasta
• Chicken Enchilada Pasta
• Bow Tie Pasta
• American Goulash
• All our Pressure Cooker Pasta Recipes

Instant Pot / pressure cooker pasta recipes in The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook:

• Baked Cheese Ravioli (page 124)
• Spaghetti with Ragu (page 125)
• Anytime Spaghetti and Meatballs (page 126)
• Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta (page 165)
• Linguine and Clam Sauce (page 181)
• Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage (page 182)
• Monterey Chicken Pasta (page 183)
• Pasta Primavera (page 184)
• Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (page 195)
• Spicy Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti (page 197)
• Tuscan Garlic Chicken Fettuccine (page 198)
• Grown-Up Mac and Cheese (page 268)

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